Secrets, Lies, and Blood
by Shorty and KG Inc
Summary: Takes place after EGB. Vlad disappears over the summer and when he returns things aren't right. The time of the Pravus is quickly approaching. Secrets will be revealed, lies will unravel, and blood will run cold as war erupts between vampires and slayers.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Shorty: This is going to be mostly me writing because KG hasn't finished the second book yet.

KG: Excuse me for being busy!

Shorty: I gave you the book a month ago!

KG: That's beside the point!

Shorty: Whatever. This story takes place at the end of EGB. This is the first time I've ever written in 3rd person P.O.V. and also my first Vlad fic. It was born of boredom and inspiration taken from songs.

Disclaimer: Well, since we're just Minions I guess that means we don't own Vlad. :( 

Snow raced through the crowds of teenagers enjoying deep-fried snacks and carnival games. She had to find Vlad. Something was wrong; she could feel it in her bones, in her blood. Snow looked around frantically and sighed with relief when she saw October and the gang eating kettle corn under a tree.

"October!" Snow shouted as she ran toward her black-clad friend.

"Snow!" October cried happily. "What are you doing here?" October saw the look on Snow's face and her smile melted. "What's wrong? Is it your Dad? Did he—" She was cut off by her friend.

"No. It's not him; it's Vlad." Snow saw Kristoff snort derisively, but she ignored him. "I think something's wrong with him. You need to help me find him! Have you seen him?"

October shook her head. "No, but I saw Henry over by the ring-toss game. He might know where he is. I'll take you there." She bid the boy's good-bye and led Snow to a brightly colored booth. Sure enough, Henry was there epically failing at the game. Meredith was there, too, watching and Snow was filled with envy for the girl that had preoccupied Vlad's heart.

"Henry!" October shouted. Henry turned around at the sound of his name and smiled at the girls.

"Hey, October, Snow. What are doing here?"

Snow grabbed Henry's arm. "Where's Vlad?"

Henry blinked. "Umm, he left. Said he had something important to do. Why?"

"I think something's wrong. He's been acting really weird."

Henry smiled. "I'm sure nothing's wrong. Vlad can take care of himself."

"Hasn't he been acting weird lately, though?"

"Well, sure, but he always acts weird."

"But-"

Henry interrupted her. "Listen, Snow, Vlad is fine. He's my best friend, I would know if he was in trouble. Trust me, Vlad-"

"He released me as his drudge, Henry!" Snow hissed.

Henry's jaw hit the floor. The expression on his face would have been comical if Snow wasn;t so distraught. "What? But—but I'm his drudge! Not you!"

"What are you talking about?" Meredith demanded.

Snow sighed; she ignored Meredith and addressed Henry. "I know. Did Vlad ever tell about how he bit a girl at the Crypt last year?"

Henry blinked. "Yeah, but he said he released her and…" His voice trailed off as understanding dawned on him. "It was you." He said quietly. "All those trips to the Crypt. I knew there was something going on between you, but…"

"He's been drinking from me ever since. He was too ashamed to tell you, or anyone for that matter. But yesterday, he released me and I have a bad feeling about it."

"What are you talking about?" October and Meredith shouted.

Snow shushed them. "Has he done anything strange lately?"

Henry furrowed his brow and frowned. "This afternoon, he skipped class, and then he was talking really funny. When we left school— " Henry's eyes widened and he looked at Meredith. "He was talking to you. And you said it sounded like he was saying goodbye. And he was telling me about how he always hung out in the school's belfry and that I should go up there sometime."

"He was saying goodbye," Snow whispered.

Henry looked at her. "We need to find Vlad. Let's go, we'll take my car." Henry and Snow took off for the parking lot. Meredith and October followed, hot on their heels.

"Wait! What are you guys talking about?" October asked again.

Henry unlocked the doors of his Charger and slid in. Snow took shotgun and the other two piled in back.

"Henry!" Meredith yelled. "What in the world is going on? What's a drudge and—"

"Where's Joss?" Henry demanded.

Meredith blinked. "He said he was going to find Vlad. He told me had some unfinished business with him that he couldn't put off anymore."

"FUCK!" Henry punched the steering wheel. He started the car and Snow's heart dropped into her stomach. Joss was gonna try to kill Vlad.

Henry was just backing up when the car door opened and Eddie Poe climbed into the back seat, forcing October to scoot over.

"Poe!" Henry shouted angrily. "What the hell are you doing in my car?"

"You're going after Vlad, right?" The photographer flashed an almost evil grin. "I'm coming too."

Henry hesitated. He looked very much like he wanted to take his frustrations out on the nerdy boy. "I'll kick your ass later!" He promised. Then he sped out of the Bathory High parking lot like a bat outta hell.

Shorty: Cliffie!

KG: Mwahahahaha!

Shorty: So yeah, sorry it's so short.

KG: Reviews make us happy! Constructive criticism is great, too!

Shorty: Flames are amusing, but will be used to bake brownies!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Shorty: Thanks so much for the reviews!

KG: Shorty lives off of reviews.

Shorty: Yeah, so this chapter was both fun and hard to write.

KG: So enjoy!

Shorty: That's my line

KG: Hey, you get to write the story! At least let me say this much!

Shorty: You can't help because you aren't caught up with the story yet!

KG: That's not my fault!

Shorty: Yes it is!

Kg: Beside the point! Onto the story!

Shorty: Don't change the subject! *Continues to have a "heated discussion" with KG.

Disclaimer: Neither of us have purple hair (unfortunately) so we must not be Auntie Heather.

KG: Shorty, stop throwing shoes at me!

Shorty: Read the books!

_A whisper behind him. For you, Cecile. And for me."_

_With and infuriated roar, Vlad slipped from under Dorian and turned with vampiric speed, landing on his feet just inches from a very surprised Joss, who held the stake in his hand. It was still covered in Dorian's blood._

_Vlad grabbed joss by the shirt, picking him up in the air, and threw him against a tree several yards away._

_On the ground lay Joss's messenger bag. Sticking out of the open flap was Vlad's father's journal._

_Before Joss could recover, Vlad moved as fast as he was able to stand in front of his once friend, his ultimate betrayer, the lying fiend, throwing punch after punch after punch until Joss's face was bleeding, his body trembling with pain._

_But the slayer still gripped the stake._

_Vlad ripped the wooden instrument from Joss's hand and pulled back his arm, ready to end this, ready to stop Joss forever, ready to send a message to any slayer who dared enter Bathory with blood on his mind. It would be easy. And the price would be worth it. He gripped the stake tightly in his hand and pulled back farther, aiming for Joss's heart._

_And then…he heard a familiar voice. A voice he would have known anywhere. "Stop, Vlad. Let him live."_

_Suddenly, Vlad couldn't breathe. It was as if all the air surrounding him refused to enter his lungs. His mouth fell open in utter shock. His fingers trembled. He released Joss, who slid down the trunk of the tree, and turned to face the speaker. He grasped at words, but at first nothing came. The he met the eyes of the intruder and all he could think was a single word—a word that would change his life forever, a word that shook as it left his lips and shattered everything that he ever though he knew about his life._

"_Dad?"_

"Yes, Vlad." Tomas Tod gave his son a sad smile. "It's me."

"What are you doing here? You're supposed to be dead!" Vlad demanded. A hundred emotions filled him to the point where he thought he was going to burst. Joy, hurt, sadness, excitement, and anger only touched the surface of what he was experiencing. Vlad couldn't decide what to feel so he settled on the obvious one: confusion.

"There's too much to explain and not enough time. We'll have company soon." Tomas's voice turned urgent. "Listen, Vlad, the Elysian Council will be on your heels soon, the Slayer Society too. You're going to need some friends if the prophecy is to be fulfilled."

"But I don't _want_ to fulfill the prophecy!" Vlad protested. "I don't want to become a monster!"

Tomas gave his son a sad smile. "You have seen it, have you not, Vlad? The prophecy will be fulfilled."

"But-"

Suddenly the street was flooded with light. Vlad shielded his eyes from the harsh headlights of a car.

He heard a car door open and a familiar girl's voice cry out. "Joss!"

Vlad blinked. "Meredith?"

Meredith ran to the bloody heap that was Joss and cradled his head in her lap. "Joss? What happened?"

The sounds of car doors opening and closing could be heard as the rest of the teenagers filed out onto the street.

Meredith looked up at Vlad. "What happened?" Vlad was vaguely aware that his clothes were covered in blood and his gapping mouth was probably displaying his fangs for all the world to see.

Fury filled Vlad and evicted the confusion he felt at seeing Meredith and the others here. "He tried to kill me; that's what happened! And he killed Dorian!" Vlad gestured to a bloody lump a few yards away. A body.

"He killed Dorian?" Henry and Snow gasped at the same time October asked, "Who's Dorian?"

Meredith shook her head. "Joss would never kill somebody!"

"Yes he would!" Vlad argued. "He's killed countless people!"

A camera flash nearly blinded Vlad. He turned to see Eddie Poe holding up his camera.

"Eddie, if don't put that camera away right now I'll shove it down your throat!" Vlad snarled.

Henry put his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Calm down, Vlad. Tell us what happened."

"He snuck up on me and killed Dorian. Then I kicked his ass." Vlad explained impatiently. "Then, when I was about to kill him, my Dad showed up and said not to."

"Your dad?" Bewilderment coated Henry's voice. "Vlad, your dad's dead."

"No, he's not." Vlad shook his head. "He's right over there." Vlad gestured behind him.

"Nobody's there Vlad," Snow said gently. "It's only us."

Vlad turned to look, and sure enough, his father had vanished. "But-he was right there! He stopped me from killing Joss."

"Maybe it was your imagination," Henry suggested.

Vlad stood there in stunned silence until Eddie took another picture. Vlad turned on the boy and a snarl ripped from his chest. Eddie backed up.

"We need to get Joss to a doctor, like now!" Meredith said before Vlad could introduce his fist to Eddie's face (Shorty: Can you tell I don't like Eddie?).

Vlad only glared at Joss. "Leave him here. He deserves to die." His voice was colder than the Rockies in winter.

"Why the sudden change in attitude?" Henry asked mildly. "Before, you refused to kill him, now you want him six feet under."

Vlad picked up the Joss's bloody stake and twirled it in his hands. When he spoke his voice was sad and cold. "He killed Tristian. (October: "Who's Tristian?") He killed Dorian. (October: "Who's Dorian?") And I wouldn't stop him. They wouldn't have died if I had stopped Joss." Vlad looked at Meredith and Joss. "He'll go after Vikas and me again, (October: "Stop ignoring me! Who's Vikas and Dorian and Tristian?) -and Otis, too, if I don't stop him. This is justice."

"It's revenge, Vlad," Snow said. "And you know that."

"So what?" Vlad demanded. "Maybe revenge is part of it, but it's nature, too. Predator and prey. That's the way it is. That's the way it's been ever since the Society was created. Maybe my kind created the Society and started that war, but Joss started our war and I'll end it!" Vlad's fist gripped the stake so tight his knuckles were white.

"What are you talking about?" Meredith pleaded. "What war? What Society? What do you mean by your kind?"

"I can't tell you," Vlad answered.

"You never tell me anything!" Meredith shouted. Tears started forming in her eyes. "How come?"

"Because if I did they would kill you!" Vlad yelled.

"She's gonna die…anyway, Vlad," The voice was barely above a whisper, but everyone heard it.

"Joss!" Meredith cried.

"What do mean?" Vlad asked.

"I already told you," Joss croaked out. "Everyone in Bathory… will die unless… I kill you and the others. Just to make sure…. the world is rid of a few… of you monsters. Innocent blood… will be shed, Vlad. But I guess… you'd be happy about that…a massacre."

Vlad smiled coldly. "A massacre _is_ coming, Joss." Vlad tapped his temple. "I've seen it. A battle between the Society and Elysia so epic it'll make World War II look like a dirt clod fight."

"The Pravus," Joss whispered. "He's coming…, isn't he?"

Vlad blinked, surprised that Joss knew about the Pravus—him. "You know about the Pravus?"

"I've heard rumors. All I know… is that he's supposed to…enslave humanity."

Vlad nodded. "The Pravus will enslave your kind and rule over mine. I've seen it. The end of the world as we know it is coming." Silence reigned supreme.

Vlad turned around and began to walk away, but a hand grabbed his, stopping him.

"Where are you going?" Snow demanded.

Vlad didn't look at her. "I don't know."

"You don't have to leave, you know," she insisted.

"Yes, I do," Vlad protested, tugging at his hand. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Eddie snapping more photos and October smacking the paparazzo wannabe upside the head. It almost made him smile.

"Please, don't go!" The hurt was evident in her voice.

Vlad turned his head to look at her. "I have to!"

"But I don't want you to! I _love_ you, Vlad!"

Vlad felt his heart breaking. He looked at the small pale girl pleading at him with big dark eyes.

"And that's part of why I have to leave! You deserve someone better than me," Vlad's eyes dropped to his dirty black converse. "Someone better than a monster."

"You're not a mon-" Snow began, but Vlad cut her off.

"Yes, I am!" He tugged his hand free of hers and began walking away faster than before.

"Vlad!" Henry called.

"Don't try to stop me!" Vlad commanded, knowing full well that Henry couldn't disobey a direct order from his vampire master. Henry let out a frustrated growl.

"Wait, Vlad!" Meredith yelled. Vlad stopped, but didn't turn around. "How-how do you know that this-this Pravus ,or whatever, is gonna come? You said you saw it, but how do you know it's real? How can you be sure that it's going to happen?"

Vlad was silent for a solid minute trying to figure out how to answer her question. He decided with the truth. October and Meredith would find ways to get it out of Henry and Snow anyway. And Joss and Eddie knew a little bit of it already.

Vlad took a deep breath and sighed sadly. "I know a war is coming because I'm going to start it." He turned his head to look at his friends and enemies. He could almost feel his eyes flash purple. "I am the Pravus." Then Vlad tapped into his vampiric speed and disappeared into the night.

*Shorty and KG are still fighting*

Vlad: Um, guys. The chapter's over.

Shorty: What? Oh, so yeah. I'm finished!

KG: Duh!

Shorty: So how'd you like it?

KG: Have you ever noticed that you say "so" a lot?

Shorty: Shut up or I will throw another show at you!

Vlad: You made me awfully dramatic.

Shorty: Because a dramatic you is fun to write.

Vlad: Whatever. So, where am I going?

Shorty: You have to wait for the next chapter, which by the way, won't be up until about this Thursday next week, because I won't have my laptop until Monday.

KG: I'm kidnapping her for the weekend.

Shorty: So yeah, send reviews!

KG: There! You said "so" again.

Shorty: That's it! *Throws a another shoe at KG*


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Shorty: Please don't kill me!

KG: That translates roughly as "I'm sorry I've been too lazy to actually write this.

Shorty: Please forgive me.

KG: (Sigh) Enjoy this belated chapter.

Disclaimer: Shorty: Dear Santa, for Christmas I want Vlad.

KG: It's June, Shorty.

Shorty: Well, then how about my birthday! (hint hint)

KG: That's today!

Shorty: I'm aware.

KG: But I already gave you a gift at your party!

Shorty: Well I'm a greedy little fangirl.

KG: (sigh) You are impossible.

Shorty: Nothing is impossible with the power of Vlad!

KG: (sigh, again) Enjoy the story!

"Would someone please tell me what's going on?" October shouted. She didn't understand anything of what just happened.

"I'll tell you later," Snow promised.

"We need to find Otis," Henry said. "Maybe he knows where Vlad is going."

"Later!" Meredith insisted. "Joss needs help!"

Henry stared at his cousin. Vlad had really done a number on him. "Fine, let's get him in the car. Eddie, help me."

Eddie scurried over to help Henry lug Joss into the backseat of Henry's car. Henry tossed his phone to Snow. "Call Otis. Tell him Vlad and Joss got in a big fight, Vlad ran off, and now we're taking Joss to the Emergency Room. Oh, and tell him Joss killed Dorian."

"Joss wouldn't kill anybody!" Meredith protested from the back seat. Henry turned around to face her.

"Joss is my cousin. I think I know him better than you do. He's a slayer. He's killed before and he's killed tonight. And if Otis or Vikas don't kill him, he'll probably kill more people."

"What do you mean by slayer?" October asked. "What's—"

"Quiet!" Snow hissed. "I'm on the phone. Otis? It's Snow. I'm a friend of Vlad's…Oh, you know about the drudge thing…cool that'll save me some time explaining. Look Vlad's gone. I don't know all the details, but Joss killed Dorian and then Vlad almost killed Joss. We came after them because Meredith said Joss was looking for Vlad. When we got there Dorian was dead, Joss was bleeding a lot and Vlad was covered in blood. He said something about his dad and the Pravus prophecy. He said the time of the Pravus was coming, that he saw it. Then he took off. We don't know where he went."

She paused while Otis said something.

"Um, Meredith, Henry, Eddie Poe, October, and myself…. Yeah, we've got some explaining to do. And you might want to take care of Dorian's body before someone finds it. Ok, meet us at the hospital. Bye."

Snow handed the phone back to Henry. "Otis is gonna get Vikas and see if they can find Vlad. They'll meet us at the hospital in a little bit."

"Alright," Henry said placing the phone back in his pocket.

"I'm sick and tired of not knowing what's going on. So somebody start explaining before I lose it!" October threatened.

"We need to call Joss' parents first," Henry said.

"Call them when we get to the hospital!" October yelled.

"Alright! Jeez, calm down," Henry said.

October sat back in her seat and crossed her arms. "I'm waiting."

"Vlad's a vampire," Eddie declared.

October looked at him like he had just fallen from the sky. "You're kidding."

Henry shook his head. "He's not. Vlad's father was a vampire, and so Vlad is a half-vampire. He's the only vampire that was born, not bitten. A long time ago there was this prophecy that stated that the first vampire born from a human and a vampire would become the Pravus. The Pravus is destined to enslave humanity and rule over vampire-kind. That's what Vlad was talking about. Joss is a vampire slayer, that's why he wants to kill Vlad. Snow and I are Vlad's drudges. Which is basically human slaves that a vampire has bitten or drunk from without killing or turning them into a vampire."

"Um," Snow mumbled. "I'm not his drudge anymore. He let me go, remember?"

"Oh, yeah, that's right." Henry nodded.

"But vampires don't exist!" Meredith said. The expression on her face was that of someone who had just seen the sky fall. Her boyfriend was bloody pulp at the hands of her ex who is some sort of monster. Not to mention he had been saying that his dead dad had come back to life and that the end of the world was coming.

"Yes," Joss murmured, "they do."

Eddie held up is camera. "I have proof. I've got pictures of Vlad levitating and showing his fangs. You wanna see?" He showed Meredith and October who were silent with shock.

"Eddie found out by stalking Vlad," Snow supplied. "He saw Vlad's eyes go purple and got suspicious, and then he just followed him around until he figured it out."

"How come Vlad never told us?" Meredith asked.

"He did," Snow answered. "He told both of you. You just didn't believe him. Remember at the Snow Ball? You slapped him. And he told October when he came to the Crypt for the first time."

"Now that you mention it, I do remember him saying that," October mumbled.

Meredith shook her head. "This is insane."

"Tell me about it," Henry muttered. They pulled into the hospital and Eddie helped Henry pull Joss, who had entered unconsciousness by now, into the building.

The emergency room was empty except for a kid with a swollen ankle and his mom. The receptionist eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when she took in Joss's battered form. "Oh, my! What happened?"

"He got mugged by a couple a big guys. We didn't see their faces. They ran off when we got there," Snow lied before Eddie could tell him he lost a fight with a blood-sucking monster.

"And who are you?" The nurse asked.

"I'm his cousin," Henry replied. "Meredith, the girl in pink, is his girlfriend. The rest are just…friends."

"Where are his parents?" The women asked while some nurses who had came in strapped Joss to a gurney.

"There out with my parents," Henry said. Which was actually true.

The nurse sighed and gave Henry a clip board with a few forms on it and a pen. "Fill this out as best as you can. Then we'll contact his parents."

"Will he be alright?" Meredith asked desperately of one of the nurses before they could disappear with Joss through into the sterile confines of the hospital.

The nurse glanced at Joss, "It's hard to say, right now. We don't know the extent of his injuries, but we'll do our best." That didn't reassure Meredith, but she followed the others to the chairs lining the waiting rooms. An old sitcom was playing on the television, but nobody was watching it.

Just after Henry finished the forms and gave them to the receptionist, two tall men burst through the doors and headed for the distraught kids.

"Vikas. Otis," Henry stood. "Well?"

Otis shook his head. "We couldn't find or contact him."

"Is he blocking you out?" Snow asked anxiously.

"No," Vikas intoned gravely. "We would have been able to tell if the Mahlyenki Dyavol was blocking us. But it seems as if Vladimir as simply vanished."

Shorty: How'd you like it?

Joss: Am I gonna live?

KG: That depends on what mood we're in when we write the next chapter.

Shorty: We?

KG: I mean you.

Shorty: Read the books!

KG: I will! Quit nagging me!

Shorty: Read them now!

KG: I can't! I'm busy!

Shorty: Excuses!

Joss: Pease send reviews before they kill each other.

KG: Stop throwing shoes at me!

Shorty: Finish the books!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Shorty: I'm sorry! I've been busy!

KG: Drink!

Shorty: We don't actually drink but my friends thought that I would make a good drinking game. Every time I say "I'm busy,"—

KG: Drink!

Shorty: They take an imaginary shot of imaginary booze. So, I've had writer's block, summer reading, 2 vacations, a wedding in Ohio, enough homework to flood my room (not kidding I have 2 honors classes, one of which is Junior year and I'm a sophomore; an AP class, and a sort of higher level class), been moving into a new house, and (you guys will like this one) I was working on a video for Auntie Heather's CoVT video contest.

KG: WE WON FIRST PRIZE! GO CHECK IT OUT!

Shorty: Just go to /user/RunnningScissors.

KG: It's pretty awesome if I do say so myself. To see the other winners just check out the Win Stuff page on Auntie's website.

Shorty: So I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It was written during the plane rides on the vacation I just got back from. So it's actually been done, I just been too busy to type it up.

KG: DRINK!

Shorty: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Well, since neither mine nor KG's high school ID, birth certificate, or passport say Heather Brewer, I guess we don't own Vlad. Darn.

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

The sound was steady. And annoying. Joss wished it would go away so he could sleep. He was so sore.

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

Joss tried to ignore the sound and fall back into blissful unconsciousness. He was tired, but the beeping was insistent and demanded that he wake up.

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

Joss groaned. Damn beeping.

And then Joss heard another noise over the beeping that occupied his mind. A faint, background sound. Something that was always there, just not really taken much notice of. Like the whisper of wind through the trees lining the street. Or the sound of traffic when you were in a car. As his ears focused, Joss realized the whispering sound was whispering voices. People were talking and they were seemed to be getting louder with each second.

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

Oh yeah, Joss thought, let's not forget that stupid beeping sound. Heaven forbid he should be allowed peace.

"So you guys still can't contact him?" A girls voice said. Joss knew the voice, but his mind was still too foggy from sleep to allow him to sleep.

"Correct," A man replied. "He's blocking us." Joss knew he knew that voice. It was teacher/vampire prey, Mr. Otis Otis.

"This is not good," A heavily accented voice declared. Joss was sure that was the Russian vampire. "Vladimir has been sentenced to death by the Elysian Council of Elders.

"What?" Several voices cried out in shock.

"For supposedly committing crimes against vampirekind," Otis explained. "Vladimir has a powerful enemy in the Council. Someone who obviously wants him dead."

"D'Ablo," A boy spat out scornfully. Was that Henry?

Suddenly everything that had happened came rushing back to Joss. He had killed Dorian, whoever that was, some vampire friend of Vlad's, Joss thought. Then Vlad had almost beat him to death.

Joss vaguely remembered Vlad trying to stab him, but being stopped by someone. Then Henry, Meredith, Eddie, October, and that Snow girl had showed up. And Vlad had revealed himself to be the legendary Pravus, the incarnation of evil destined to enslave humanity and rule over vampirekind. (A/N: Shorty: Did you guys know that Pravus is Latin for evil? I figured the slayers would see him as a evil-incarnate.) And then Vlad had disappeared, claiming that his day was coming, and that was all Joss could remember.

So the question was, where did Vlad go?

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

_And what was with that damn beeping?_

_Beepbeepbeepbeep_

The infernal sound rose with his petty rage.

"Uh oh," A squeaky voice muttered. Eddie?

"What's wrong with him?" Meredith's frantic voice demanded. "Why's his heart doing that?"

Oh, _duh! _Joss mentally slapped himself. Of course, he was in the hospital. The annoying beeping sound was the heart monitor.

The knowledge helped Joss, and the beeping, calm down.

_Beep…Beep…Beep_

"He is fine," The Russian assured, contempt dripped from his voice.

Joss opened his eyes. Sure enough, he was in a hospital room. Henry, Meredith, October, Snow, Eddie, Vikas, and Mr. Otis were scattered around the room. Joss absentmindedly wondered where his parent's were.

"He's awake!" Meredith cried out joyfully. Vikas muttered something in Russian under his breath. Joss didn't have to speak the language to know he was swearing.

"Where are my parent's?" Joss croaked out. He sounded like a microwaved frog.

"Work," Henry explained. "They couldn't get off."

"What time is it?"

"About 8 at night."

Joss nodded. That made sense, his parent's worked nights. That's how Joss could always sneak out so easily to hunt vampires.

"Do you remember what happened last night?" Meredith asked.

Joss nodded again. "How bad am I?"

"You have a broken nose, broken cheekbone, two fractured ribs, a broken rib, sprained wrist, a concussion, and some bruising and cuts," Mr. Otis said.

"And two black eyes," Eddie added.

"Ouch," Joss said dryly. Everyone was quiet for a while.

October broke the silence. "So what happens now?"

"I don't know," Otis announced. "It seems that we're at a bit of an impasse. Vlad has disappeared. Frankly, he was the only reason that Vikas or I did not kill Joss the minute he stepped foot into Bathory. While I imagine that Joss would love nothing more than to drive a stake through our hearts, he is no position to even feed himself pudding, much less attack two very powerful vampires. On the other hand, Vikas and I would like to kill Joss, but we can't just yet."

Joss blinked. "Why not?"

Vikas smiled. It didn't reach his ice blue eyes. "We know what happens when a slayer doesn't get his target. The whole town is massacred. While we could simply kill you and leave to avoid the Society, Otis refuses to leave and I refuse to leave Otis to face them alone."

"You think if you have me as a hostage they won't kill anyone?" Joss snorted. "They don't care."

"Maybe," Otis agreed. "But you can be useful to us in different ways."

Vikas walked over to Joss bedside and bent over until he was face to face with the slayer. "And so, for now, we shall allow you to lie, Slayer. But when the time comes for you to face justice for the lives you have stolen, I shall get the pleasure of ending your life as slowly and painfully as I can possibly imagine. And, Slayer, I have a wild imagination." Vikas grinned wolfishly, his exposed fangs adding to the effect.

Fear turned Joss' blood to ice. Normally he wasn't scared of a vampire, but this one…he was one of the oldest vampires in existence. Fighting him was suicide. Joss had known great slayers who died at the hands of the Russian vampire.

Vikas straightened up. His expression transformed completely. He smiled pleasantly. "And now, if you will excuse me, I shall return to today's crossword puzzle. Does anyone know a five-letter word for something you take potshots at?"

Everyone shook their heads. Vikas sighed. "I was afraid of that."

With that Vikas snatched the paper from a table and headed towards the door. "I'll be at the house. I've no desire to have that insolent rat in my sights any longer than absolutely necessary. Unless, of course, I'm watching him die."

"The feeling's mutual," Joss informed.

Vikas flashed a toothy grin. "Then we're on the same page." The old vampire nodded to the others. "Good night, Otis, children." Vikas left, shutting the door behind him.

"You know I can't imagine how such a cool guy like Vikas can have enemies," Henry remarked causing Otis, October, and Snow to laugh loudly.

"Because he's a cold, blood-thirsty killer," Even though Joss practically whispered, his voice seemed to reverberate around the sterile, hospital room. The laughter ceased.

"And you're one to talk?" Otis raised an eyebrow.

"Don't try to make me out as some sort of hypocrite," Joss threatened. "I'm nothing like you monsters."

"Aren't you?" Otis whispered. "How many vampires have you killed, hmm? Dozens, yes? Vampires who have families and friends and feelings. Just. Like. Humans."

"I said not to compare me to you leeches!"

"How can I not? Vladimir was the one who first informed me of the similarities between us. He was right. We are the same."

_BeepBeepBeepBeepBeep_

Joss' heart pounded furiously. "Vampire's are murderers!"

"And what does that make Slayers?" Otis' blood boiled in his veins. "Vampires might kill, but unlike you, we kill when we eat. We don't dress up our bloodlust as some feeble excuse 'for the good of mankind!' We don't have to justify the blood on our hands. We need it to survive! You kill to kill. Would you kill lion for eating a gazelle? Would you murder a man for eating a cow? It is the natural order of the world and the sooner you hypercritic Slayers except it the sooner there will be less bloodshed on both parts!"

Otis stared down at Joss. Hell raged in his eyes.

"Maybe you drink blood to survive. But I know your bloodlust goes beyond what you need. You've killed for the pleasure of it, haven't you? You try to justify it as kindness. Putting us out of our misery you say. If you're going to call us the same then stick with it. Don't put yourself on a pedestal, you bastard."

Otis' eyes narrowed. "That's nothing you haven't done, Slayer. I guess we're all hypocrites to the core. Vladimir had the most unbiased perception of us. Perhaps it is because of his mixed blood, or his upbringing, or maybe his friends."

Otis looked around at the teenagers, who were quite timid after witnessing the interspecies creaming match. "I'll be leaving, then." He declared coolly. "Vikas had the right idea. I've just remembered how much I detest rats." Otis' glare to Joss would have put Medusa to shame, but he smiled at Snow. "It was a pleasure to meet you, darling." He tipped his purple top hat at her and the others. "Henry, Meredith, October."

He paused when he came to Eddie. "I understand you tempted my nephew with your blood once in an attempt to expose him. Count yourself lucky that he didn't tear your throat out in thirst or anger. Above all remember that experience. I'm sure Joss here can tell you just how dangerous it is to cross a vampire." Otis flashed his fangs. Eddie paled and then Otis Otis walked out the door.

Vlad stepped out of the taxi and breathed the fresh air. He gazed up at and old brick building. His dad had said he was going to need help. And so help was what he was going to get.

KG: _**READ! IMPORTANT!**_

Shorty: I'm done! Now you might be wondering if I'm going to continue the story after Twelfth Grade Kills comes out (OMV THAT'S TOMMARROW! SQUEE!). Yes I think I will.

KG: YAY!

Shorty: And guess what guys! KG is on EGB!

KG: YAY!

Shorty: And other thing. Where do you want Vlad to go for help? Best suggestion will be used in story and you may even be put into the story for a little bit! Yay for OCs that actually contribute to the story!

KG: SEND REVEWS!

Shorty: I'll read them if I'm not too busy!

KG: Drink!

Shorty: JK. I'll read them anyway! :D


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